Southern California -- this just in

Explosive device found in car in Universal City [Updated]

January 11, 2010 | 7:25
am

A lane on the northbound 101 Freeway is shut down this morning after police found what appeared to be a pipe bomb inside a car in the Universal City area, officials said.

[Updated at 8:18 a.m.: The suspicious device turned out to be a number of fireworks wrapped and taped together, sad Officer Sara Faden of the LAPD. They were detonated by the police bomb squad. Traffic in the area has since returned to normal. The Lankershim Boulevard onramp and offramp, the closed lane of the northbound 101 Freeway and the Metro Red Line station in Universal City have reopened.]

The device was discovered about 3 a.m. when fire crews went to the aid of a man driving a blue Scion, said Los Angeles Police Department Officer Sara Faden. During their treatment of the man, he became uncooperative and the suspicious device was found.

A police bomb squad was dispatched to the scene, and a robot retrieved the device from the car, Faden said. The device is expected to be detonated or disabled.

The Lankershim Boulevard onramp and offramp and at least one lane of the northbound 101 Freeway remained closed and no stops were being made at the Metro Red Line station in Universal City, Faden said.